Tutorial Addiction and the Pitfalls of Social Improvement

Ok, so you’ve got your 700 Photoshop brush packs from your favorite artists, you’ve downloaded all the free eBooks, you’ve got a black hole of bookmarks in your web browser, and a folder of 10,000 inspirational images. You’re ready for some serious artwork! Except you have no idea how to even begin a drawing or painting. “Wait, I’ve got all the resources at my finger tips don’t I? That’s the glory of the internet and social media! All my friends love my sketches and tell me what a great artist I am, but all I do is sketch on my homework and draw fan art of my favorite anime characters. Why can’t I just start a drawing?” Two words my friends, “Tutorial Addiction.”

This phrase came to me earlier this week and it’s been really festering in my mind. Even I fall prey to the illusion of social improvement, being both an avid watcher of art videos on YouTube and a creator of them too. However, at the end of the day everything still comes down to actually making something. This is where many young (and even old) artists get stuck. You think that after one tutorial you’re ready to create a masterpiece, and when your piece turns out less than expected you get frustrated. “Hey I watched the tutorial and understood it, why can’t I do it like they can?”

This is the difference between having resources, and properly utilizing them. Following a tutorial and doing the demonstration only goes so far. The catalyst for true improvement happens when you apply what you learned to your art and build up your own techniques based on what other artists have done. When you apply the concept behind your favorite paintings, matched with knowledge of the artists that came before you, then and only then can you start to improve your work.

The idea of social improvement through your art community isn’t a bad thing. I would sound like a complete hypocrite if I was trying to imply such a thing. However, focusing on your community rather than your own work can stint your growth as a creative individual. Additionally, hording resources doesn’t help you either. Having great tools only goes as far as your experience and skills. If you still don’t have a grasp on the human figure, no fancy Photoshop technique or type of pencil will help you master it (only time and determination will).  If you spend the majority of your time finding tutorials instead of creating art, then what you will master is your office skills not mastery of drawing.

Sure tutorial addiction isn’t quite as nasty as say substance addiction, but it is something that plagues many artists. At the end of the day, however, you work is more important than simply a bundle of free tutorials and inspirational images. Having a love for creating art is always the first stage in improving it. You have to love to create regardless of the quality of the finished product. You have to make the time to create your work too. Maybe you’re a busy student, maybe a single parent with a love for creative projects. Maybe you’re single and work 2 jobs to pay off your college loans. Regardless of your situation your time is precious, so finding the time for your art should be just as important as your day to day life. Create a schedule for drawing or painting if you have to. MAKE the time if your art is something you truly care about and want to improve on. When you have the time then you can work on your art and once you finish a project, start another piece learning from your mistakes on the last one.

What are your thoughts on this concept of “tutorial addiction?” Are you an addict yourself, or have you broken free of your chains of doubt? Join in the conversation about it in the comments below.

Infectious Creativity

“Infectious Creativity: The Key to a Successful Art Career”

To begin, I will give you this premise to consider: “Love your art until it becomes infectious!” This concept came out of a conversation I had with a friend and fellow artist early last month, but has stuck with me in principle. This concept of an infectious form of creativity is what I believe to be the driving force of what makes an artist successful or not.

The more I thought about it the more it seemed to ring true for my work, and the work of those artists that I admire. Creating your art should always start as a passion for something you love. For most artists that is what creating art is. However, in the process of being self-taught or taught in a rigorous program, it can be very easy to lose your passion for creation in the pursuit of perfection. While it is vitally important to your success to refine your skills and pursue mastery of the fundamentals, if you forget why you love creating in the process, then you will have lost the most important part of being an artist.

This idea of loving to create, and loving what you do, is what makes all successful artists stand out to us. While yes, the beautiful images they create are also important, ask yourself how many grumpy artists you follow? Would you want to learn from an artist who is indifferent about their work? Or how about an artist that hates everything they do? Ok, there is a certain sense of creative humility and realization that ever artist has, in knowing that their work needs improvement. However, if they continue to say “I suck, I suck, I suck,” then you as the fan will also start to think they suck as well. If you the artist are not passionate about the work you create, then what hope do your fans have to love the work that you do?

This is really the idea I want to drive home for all of you. Love what you do. Painting, drawing, writing, composing, whatever your creative outlet is do it because you love it FIRST, then worry about marketing and making money. Forget about client work. Forget what kind of art your friends and family like. Make art for yourself, because you love to! Maybe that sounds a bit selfish, but when you become crazy passionate about your work and your process, then other people will be excited to see, read, or hear your next great masterpiece! Yes, the first impression of a great piece of art brings people in, but what keeps them coming back is that they know you are an artist in love with creating.

It is only when we love to create that our passions infect others with creativity to create something of their own. Success isn’t a dollar amount. It’s not a number of shows or a single great piece of art. No, success is about community! It’s about sharing your creative love with the world, and having of the world answer back with their own unique creations. So in case you forgot along the way, “Love your art until it becomes infectious,” and then you will truly be successful.